Trailer construction



Aug. 25, 1959 FiIed Jan. l5, 1957 A. G. MEAKER 2,901,282

TRAILER CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet .l

A TTUH'NEYS Aug. 25, 1959 A. G. MEAKER 2,901,282

TRAILER CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. l5, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 25, 1959A. G.- MEAKr-:R 2,901,282

TRAILER CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. l5, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nm. m.

::Niiw I- l-:. %h @F.Mwwwl-- -Ji ----Il-- tw- Y QM. QQM. QQM. GQM. MM,

bmw SM. n umm. wm v Sm NTU Q A. G. MEAKER TRAILER CONSTRUCTION FiledJan. l5, 1957 F/G. 6. F/G. 7. A

57 u "35 @5/ Xn" 5] 59 59 t 59 k j?, 47\ 5 W 47 58 52 56 i 50 59 59. I:,59 49 55L y n 49 /NvE/vron A TTOR/VEYS United States Patent TRAILERCONSTRUCTION Archibald G. Meaker, Corona, Calif., assignor o f fortypercent to Stanley B. Meaker, Arlington, Calif.

Application January 1'5, 1957, Serial No. 634,305 3 Claims. (Cl. 296-23)This invention has to do with improvements in trailers and, moreparticularly, relates to improvements in laterally expansible andcontractible house trailers.

. It is an object of my present invention to` provide a telescopicallycollapsible house ltrailer embodying yan improved construction whichenables the parts, or body sections, when expanded, to be supportedsolely by cantilever means without the necessity `of props or additionalsupports. More specifically, it is an object to provide improved noveltrack and guide `units which enable expansion and `contraction withlmaximumease fand which fully .support the expanded structure bycantilever action from a centrally located chassis `trame.

It is a further object to provide a house trailer in which the completefloor for one side tot the `body is composed of floor elements arrangedto be jackknifed into parallel contracted position, leaving Atheremainder of the body unobstructed.

-A still further object ofmy invent-ion is -t-o provide a house trailerconstruction which utilizes for part of the body a permanentlyhorizontal iloor section which moves horizontally relative to thechassis during contraction and expansion and utilizes for the remainderof the body a pair of floor sectionsmounted for jackkning move-` ment atone side of thehorizontal oor section and supported by cantilever means,when expanded, which construction provides Aa `house trailer which, whenexpanded, is substantially twice its contracted width.

While I shall point out in the appended claims the features fwhich Ibelieve to be new, I shall now, for the purpose of explaining myinvention, `describe in detail a presently preferred embodiment thereoffor which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawings wherein,

Fig. l is fa perspective view with .the front end portion of the body`being broken away for illustrative purposes;

Fig. 2 is a oor;

Fig. 3is a schematic cross-section of the body in expanded position;

Fig. 4 is a 4schematic cross-section of the body in contracted position;

t Fig. 5 isfa section taken Aon line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a section takenbn line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

showing a modified form of plan section taken immediately above the Fig.7 is Ia sectional View track and `guide, elements;

Fig, 8 is a longitudinal section of one of the body moving hydraulicelements; l

v Fig. 9 ista'longitudinal sectionlof one of the hydraulic jacksemployed for breaking the dead center position of the jackkning floorelements; and

Fig. l is a view taken `on line Referring now to the drawings, thenumeral generally denotes the chassis which, in use, is supported in aconventional manner by road Wheels, not shown. The chassis compriseslongitudinal channel beams 7, yangles 8 and cross-members 9. A Ifronttowing member 11 is secured to the chassis.

10 of Fig. 5.

The expansible and contractible body, generally denoted 15, comprisesside wall plates 16a, 16b, spaced side wall members 17, 18 tand 19, 20,telescopic rear end wall elements 25a, 25h, telescopic front end wallelements 26a, 2Gb; telescopic top wall elements 27a, 27h; a permanentlyhorizontal floor section 3l) comprised of spaced lloor elements 30a,3llb having spacers 30a` therebetween; and a pair of juxtaposed oorsections 61a, 3117 hinged together at their contiguous side edges by ahinge 32, and preferably hinged at edge of lloor section 30 land sidewall hinges 33, 34, respectively. Each of sections 31a, 31b is composedof oor elements 35a, 35b having spacers 36 therebetween, the elements35a having longitudinal ribs 37.

The Ibody 15 is supported from the chassis by means of a plurality oflongitudinally spaced telescopic cantilever units 40 of likeconstruction and only one of which will now be described in detail(Figs. 5 and 6).

Each unit 40 comprises a pair of opposed tracks 42, 43 of C-shapedcross-section disposed in back-to-back contact and welded `together at44 as well as Welded to an angle iron cross member 46, the latter memberbeing welded at its ends to the chassis members 7.

In track 42 a reversely channeled slide 49 is mounted to slidelongitudinally of the track, a slide block 50 being secured to the slide49 land to an angle .iron floor joist 51 by bolts or rivets 52. In track43 'a reversely channeled slide 55 is mounted to slide longitudinallythereof, a slide block 56 being secured to the slide 55 and to an.yangle iron floor joist 57 lby rivets or bolts 58. The slides areretained against lateral movement in the track-.S by the liangedportions 59 of the tracks, which flanges define a slot 47 to slidablyreceive the Iblocks 50, 56,

The slide 55 of each of the elements 4l) is secured as by welding to anangle Viron 6l) secured to the bottom of' wall plate 16b by bolts ment40 is secured -at its outer end, ras by welding, to' an angle ironmember 62 secured to the bottom of side: Wall plate 16a by :bolts 63.Also the outer end or each.: of the joists 51 is likewise secured toangle iron 62: while the `outer end of each joist 57 is likewise securedto angle iron 60.

Thus, as 'the sides lof the body are contracted, or moved toward eachother, to telescope Ithe end and top walls, the horizontal iloor section30 moves horizontally relative 'to the chassis from the position of Fig.3 to the position of Fig. 4, while the Hoor sections 31a, 31b Jackkiifeinto uprigh-t parallel position as sho'wn in So that, `when expanded,the body is substantially twice the contracted Width, I make thepermanently horizontal oor section 30 slightly narrower than thecombined width of the oor sections 31a, 31h (to the extent of thecombined thickness of lloor sections 31a, 3lb) so that the latter, whenjackknifed, will be positioned within the right hand portion of the bodyand llush with the longitudinal ,partition wall 64, as best shown inFig. 4.

In order to prevent any rubbing contact between the joists 57 and theundersurface of floor section 30 during expansive and contractivemovement, I slightly elevate the bottom of oo-r section 30 by having thetop surface,

of the top arms `of joists l51 slightly above th'cplane of:

the top surface of the top arm of joists 57.

For the purpose of moving the body sections between contracted andexpanded positions, I provide a plurality of conventional hydrauliccylinder-piston units a, 7llb, preferably there being three of the units79a and the like number of the units 70b; the units 70a being disposedoppositely to the units 7Gb. Each of the said units is preferably of thesame capacity.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 8 the cylinder of each of their outer sideedges to theI plate 16b yby 61. The slide 49 of each ele--k the units70a is pivotally secured at its closed end to one of the chassis members7 by a bracket 72 and the outer end of its piston rod is pivotallysecured to the angle or plate 62v by a bracket 73. The cylinder of eachof the units 70b is pivoitally Secured at its closed. end tothe oppositechassis channel 7 by a like bracket 72 while the outer end of its pistonrod is pivotally secured to. angle.

of' vertically disposed conventional. hydraulic jack unitsi).

each having a cylinder Stia, a piston rod Sib and a piston 80C. Each of`the cylinders 30a is fixed by a suitable bracket 81 to a cross-member8,3 carried by the chassis. Since the capacity ofeach of the jacks issmaller than that of each of the cylinders of the units 70a, 7%, thefuid pressure, when opened to the inner ends of the-cylinders 80a, 'willfirst act on the pistons 80C to break the; dead center position of hinge32 to allow the sides of the body. to be drawn toward each other by theunits 70a, 7012.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that the body iscentered on the chassis at all times when it is in either expanded orcontracted position. The telescopic cantilever units are so designed andconstructed, that, when expanded, those portions of the body outwardlyfrom the ends of the track members are adequately sup ported by thechanneled slides which in turn. are ade-` quately supported by thechanneled tracks. Also the described construction of the cantileverunits facilitates their mounting on the chassis, facilitates ease ofmovement of the slides, eifectively resists distortion of the,

tracks and guides and facilitates slightly elevating the boty tom of oorsection 30 to prevent rubbing contact between the joists 57 and saidfloor when the latter joists move under the floor section 30 duringcontraction and.

expansion.

In Fig. 7 I show a modified form of track and guide unit in which theparts are as before describedV and are given like reference numeralsexceptthat, instead of hav-- ing the tracks 42, 43 in back-to-backcontact and welding them together, I horizontally space them apart andweld to their backs an inverted U-shaped member 90 through whichV Idispose a bolt 91 which extends through the angle 46, and threadedlycarries a nut 92 which bearsv against the bottom surface of the top armof angle 46.

Each of the hydraulic elements 70a, 70b, 80 is connected into aconventional hydraulic fluid pressure system, not shown, by conduits10d, 161.

The right hand side a of the body has a longitudinal partition Iwall -64spaced inwardly from the left hand edge of` said side a distance equalto the combined thickness of: iloor sections 31a, 31h, so that when thebody is inl contracted position those floor sections will jackknife intoupright .position against said partition wall. This is so thatfwhen thebody is contracted, which is its towingposition, 'the over all Width ofthe contracted body may be lwithin the legal limits of eight feet,althoughiwhen expanded the body has an over all width of approximatelysixteen feet.

Preferably such items of furniture as may be used in the left handr side15b of the body when it is expanded,

to and disposedtransversely of said4 chassis,` each of said trackmembers .being of C-shaped cross section, a channelled slide memberlongitudinallyy slideably engaging opposite portions of eachv of said.track members with its channel opening towards the back of its carryingtrack member, a floor joist disposed along and secured to each of saidslide memberswhereby to move therewith, a body having relativelylaterally movable side portions secured to said slide members, apermanently horizontal floor carried by some of said joists, said floorbeing movable with saidjoist upon which itis carried, between a.position substantially centered on said-chassis and a position laterallyoffset relative to the center'ofisaid chassis, a collapsible, liloor,comprising two juxtaposed floor elements having; their contiguous edgeportions hinged together for jack-kning swinging movement betweenhorizontal expanded position. and upright' collapsed' position, others'.ofsaid floor joists being disposed to support said floor elements whenthe latter are in horizontal expanded position, said* door elementsbeing interposed between the inner edge of said permanently horizontaldoor and the contiguous. side portion of said tbody, whereby to be movedbetween collapsed and expanded positions in re-VV 2`. The trailer ofclaim 1 wherein the combined Widthy of said collapsible floor elementsis greater to the extent of their combined thickness than the width ofsaid permanently horizontal floor, whereby when said body isincontracted position, said oor elements are jack-knifed into uprightparallel relationship in a position overlying the contiguous endportions of said track members.

3. In a laterally expansible and contractible house trailer having achassis and relatively laterally movable -side portions and allateral-ly expansible and contractible oor, cantilever units carried bysaid chassis, each of said cantilever units comprising a pair ofoppositely disposed, backtoback positioned, parallel track members eachof yC-shaped cross sectionl the yfree edges of each of which define alongitudinal slot, a slide member of channelled cross `section disposedin each of said track members and having its channel opening towards theback portion of its carrying track member, a pair of slide blocksdisposed in and slideable along said-respective slots, means securingsaid respective slide blocks to said respective slide members, and doorjoist means secured to said respective slide blocks for supporting saidfloor.

References Citedv in the ileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,147,892 Gray Feb. 21, 1939 2,675,277 McC-lellan Apr. 13, 19542,732,251 Meaker Jan. 24, 1956- FOREIGN PATENTS 1,015,333 France July 9,1952 1,068,990' France Feb. 10, 1954 679,285 Great Britain Sept. 17,1952 725,918 Great Britain Mar. 9, 1955 .1. 'new

